I had one of those life-changing moments on New Year's Day. I sat, quietly, on our new couch and stared at the TV. And stared. And stared. I was engrossed. In what? I have no idea. It was either a Family Guy re-run or the Pillsbury Groupon Zipcar Magnavox Powerade Ed's Tire and Automotive Supply Bowl between Alcorn State and Simmons College. The point is, I didn't care what was on the screen.
The moment, the question, hit me like a bolt of lightning: Mike, what the hell are you doing?
The next six words left my mouth in a hurry: "Hun, let's get rid of cable." The response, to my surprise, was simple and positive: "Okay." Just like that, the plan was in place. We were going to become one of those families without cable.
We'd had quick conversations before, but Bridget's love of everything related to Real Housewives and my love of sports ended the discussions. This time, though, we're for real. And here are the three reasons why our decision will stick in 2013:
1. We waste a lot of time watching TV. Like a lot of people and a lot of couples, we come home from work (especially in the winter) and mindlessly find the remote. We hit power, make dinner, and settle on something we can both endure. (I've written about this before.) What. a. damn. waste. And it's all because it's easier and it's part of our routine. But between eye-opening books, the art of the conversation, the massive connectivity of the Internet, the joy of writing, and, of course, our iPads, there are so many more valuable things to do. Will we still watch TV? Sure, every once in a while. We're keeping Hulu and Netflix -- and there are several bars and restaurants down the street when Syracuse has a big game -- but we'll most certainly watch a lot less of the idiot box. And I can't help but think it will make us more interesting people.
2. We won't have to deal with Comcast as much. We're keeping our wireless Internet, obviously, because we're not insane. So we won't be able to completely divorce ourselves from the frustrating world of cable companies, but this is certainly going to make things easier. No more, "Sir, for an extra $34.99, you can have Showtime for 11 days and 10 nights" or "Well, yes, but that was the Triple Play Special. If you want Internet and cable this year, it's going to cost $28 more for no specific reason." Or my personal favorite during those hair-pulling phone Comcast calls, "Hmm, let me see if the computer will let me lock in that rate for you. Oh, it's saying no. This system just isn't playing nice today ... Sir? Are you still there? Sir? Sir?"
3. We'll save about $60 a month. Will we be able to retire early because of our cable chop? No. But $60 is $60. That's a quick dinner out, a photo-to-canvas project, or 1/8 of one of Bridget's haircut. (Just kidding.) With the changes in the payroll tax in 2013, we'll make good use of the three extra $20 bills each month.
Our quest for a better, more productive, cable-free life, is just getting underway. I'm sure there will be bumps and hiccups along the way, but we're excited. And nervous.
Has anyone else done the cable chop? We'd love to hear your success -- and horror -- stories.
We did this a few years ago. Brandee lasted about 2 days :-)
ReplyDeleteRegardless, couldn't agree with you more!
Cable-free since March 2009. We gave our widescreen non-HD TV to the movers when we arrived in Illinois (it was a freebie from a coworker who had switched to a flat screen). Cutting the coaxial was mostly a financial consideration but there was also the fatigue you mention: the phenomenon of watching "The Frogger" episode of Seinfeld for the ninth time didn't have the enlightening qualities I hoped it would. I already knew the right combination of mozzarella and Mountain Dew at that point.
ReplyDeleteTactically, you'll need your wifi connection to be solid because the streaming sites will be your methadone. There’s still a lot to be said for sitting in repose with your lady and giving your brains a rest in front a screen. As you probably have figured out, Hulu's content depth is weak but current. Hulu Plus ($7.95 a month) allows you to view some shows on the same day they are on TV. You'll still see The Daily Show and Colbert a day late, but that's better than never (and who stays up just to watch them anyway?). Netflix's content can be surprisingly good and can point you to excellent shows/movies you might have missed (e.g., BBC’s Sherlock). Digital TV signals also allow a set of modern rabbit ears to get local affiliates and PBS, and I’ve done pretty well with radio broadcasts for Pats/Sox when I couldn’t watch on ESPN at a friend’s house.
When you say “…I can't help but think it will make us more interesting people,” it brings to mind a few words of caution. 1. Don’t tell people you don’t have TV in casual conversation (I know I did in this comment but it’s in context). 2. You might be more interesting, but you will definitely be less relatable. 3. I hope you like spoilers.
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ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice and the words of caution. We are already big fans of Netflix and Hulu (mostly Bridget, on the latter), so I feel like we'll still be culturally relevant. That is, as much as two 30 somethings can be culturally relevant.
ReplyDeleteI challenge your words of caution, though. The cable-cutting trend is growing (if you are so inclined: http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/snip-snip-1-million-cut-cable-tv-in-2011-research-shows/) and I think will become more popular in years to come. And the water cooler is a thing of the past. When was the last time you chatted with a co-worker about last night's episode of "Blank"? No one watches live TV anymore. Well, almost no one. So, I offer up for argument, within five years, cutting the cord on cable could make me more relatable.
Lastly, Frogger is a classic. If Seinfeld was available only on cable, I'd never, ever jump ship.